Low-FODMAP & Gluten-free Palak Paneer (Indian Spinach with Cheese)
Low-FODMAP Palak Paneer is a creamy, rich, and delicious Northern Indian vegetarian recipe. Try it tonight and your family will love it!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
- 350 grams fresh spinach, stems removed*
- 1 medium tomato (140g), chopped*
- 1-inch fresh ginger, minced*
- 1 tablespoon garlic infused oil*
- 1 tablespoon onion or shallot infused oil*
- 1/4 –1/2 cup low-FODMAP vegetable broth, or water
- 1 teaspoon garam masala*
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder *
- 1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder*
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar (adjust to taste)
- 2–3 tablespoons lactose-free heavy cream, or canned coconut cream (for vegetarian)
- 1 tablespoon almond meal (optional)
- 160 grams paneer, cut into cubes*
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)*
- 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Put a large pot on medium-high heat to boil. Set up an ice water bath while this is prepping
- Lightly salt the water, then immerse the spinach leaves and boil for 2-3 minutes until wilted
- Drain spinach in a colander, then plunge the colander into the ice bath to stop the cooking process and preserve the green color of the spinach
- Once cooled, place spinach, tomato, and ginger in a blender and puree until smooth
- If you are planning to sear the paneer, do so now (see notes below)
- Heat a large cast iron, or enamel lined pan on medium heat. Once hot, add both infused oils, then the spinach puree
- Stir in 1/4-1/2 cup of your LF vegetable broth or water
- Cover the pan and let it cook for 10 minutes on medium or medium-low, stirring often
- Once the spinach is cooked, add the garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder, salt, and sugar
- Add the heavy cream or canned coconut cream and mix again
- Taste, and adjust seasonings (if your spinach is bitter, you may want more sugar). Stir in almond meal if desired
- Stir in the paneer, allow to simmer for a couple minutes
- Mix in the fenugreek leaves*, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed
- Serve dish hot over Basmati or Jasmine rice
Notes
- Although this recipe has not been lab-tested, a single serving should be low-FODMAP based on the ingredients (using available FODMAP data at time of blog posting)
- For common tomato, 65g is one low-FODMAP serving due to fructose
- One low-FODMAP serving for spinach is 75g per Monash; maximum size per FODMAP Friendly is 777g
- Paneer is low-FODMAP in 40g servings. If your paneer is crumbly, then sear on a skillet for 1-2 minutes before incorporating (see notes to follow). I used Sach Organic Paneer
- Check all spice blends to ensure no added onion or garlic
- Dried fenugreek leaves are low-FODMAP in 1 cup (16g) servings. I purchased mine on Amazon
- Infused oils do not contain FODMAPs! See more in my Tips and Tricks for the Low-FODMAP Diet
Potential substitutions; these will give a slightly different flavor, but will still be delicious:
- You may also substitute yellow curry powder for the turmeric
- You may try 1-2 teaspoons cumin in place of the fenugreek leaves (but I really think the fenugreek adds to the flavor)
To prepare paneer:
- Cut your block into 1/2” vertical strips, then each strip into 1/2” horizontal strips to make small 1/2”x 3/4” pieces
- If you wish to sear your paneer (helps the texture if the paneer is soft) then heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in your skillet over medium or medium-low heat. Place the paneer cubes in a single layer and cook, turning constantly, until lightly golden on all sides (about 5-7 minutes). The paneer may pop and spatter (watch out for hot oil)! Transfer the paneer from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate for later incorporating
- i browned my paneer
